OFF-DUTY OFFICER, GOOD NEIGHBORS AND GREAT POLICE WORK LEAD TO THE ARREST OF SUSPECT WANTED IN CONNECTION WITH THE PURSE SNATCHING OF A 73 YEAR-OLD FEMALE ON HER WAY HOME AFTER VOTINGAt about 6:16pm, on Tuesday, September 16, 2008, officers from Area E-5 (West Roxbury) responded to a radio call for a purse snatching in the area of 22 Denton Terrace. On arrival, officers spoke to an off-duty police officer who was in his home, watching television, when he heard a woman screaming. Upon hearing the screaming, the off-duty officer looked out his front window and observed an elderly female, 73 years of age, lying on the ground, yelling for help. The off-duty officer immediately grabbed his police radio and exited his home in order to help the elderly victim. While speaking to the off-duty officer, the victim stated that she was returning home after voting, walking up Denton Terrace, when two black males approached her, pushed her to the ground and took her purse. Upon receiving a description of the suspects, the off-duty officer promptly broadcast the description of the suspects over the police radio.
While searching the immediate area, officers soon located an individual matching the description of one of the suspects. As officers were approaching the suspect, officers observed an individual walking behind the suspect. As officers got closer, the individual walking behind the suspect stated, “That’s him! That’s him!” When officers spoke to the good samaritan (witness), he stated that his son had called him and told him about the purse snatching. According to the witness, his son then told him that the suspects may have run into his backyard. After speaking to his son, the witness exited his home in hopes of locating the suspects. Upon exiting his home, the witness says he spotted one of the suspects. At this point, the witness began walking behind the suspect. As stated earlier, the witness was walking behind the suspect, along Kittredge Street, when police showed up on the scene.
With the suspect in custody, officers brought the suspect back to the scene of the incident for identification purposes. Once on scene, the elderly victim was able to positively identify the suspect. Officers arrested Gamael Fleury, 19, of Hyde Park and charged him with Unarmed Robbery and Assault & Battery (victim over 65).
The elderly victim was transported to the Faulkner Hospital where she was treated for minor injuries.
While officers were still on scene, a witness walked into the Area E-5 police station in order to turn in a purse found lying in her back yard. A search of the purse showed that it belonged to the elderly victim.